ePrarthana

[T Swaminarayan]

"S. V. Subrahmanian" wrote:


To both Shri Jaldhar Vyas and Shri Swaminarayan,

1. Why would Advaita not recommend idol worship ? Advaita only negates the
illusory view of multiplicity. What is illusory is only the feeling of
separateness. But one can always see the idol as one's own Self and
experience love towards it, as much as one loves oneself even in the
relative plane - or am I grossly missing something ?

5. How does the idea of Vedantins as per the mails below reconcile with the
vedic aphorism : sarvam khalvidam brahma - where is the question of 'sarvam'
for an Advaitin ?

My comments:

Sarvam khalu idam Brahma- meaning: All this,verily, is Brahman,is the declaration of the Vedas. It is left to the aspirant .of mukthi to realise this truth,get liberated from the bonds of re-birth and become a Jeevan Muktha in this very life itself.

Advaitins and Dvaittins are both Vedantins.

Swami Atmananda, in his book,"Shankara's teachings in his own words" states thus:" Here is one of the fundamental propositions of Shankara and other Advaitins(Monists)."There is one and only one Entity in the Universe" is the doctrine of the monists.Multiplicity is only a delusive appearance.They state that the soul in its native purity alone exists and is God,and that the world is an imperfect reading of God through the senses.Different from them are the Dvaitins(Dualists).They state that the soul,God and the world are all equally etrernal uncreated entities."

An Advaitin would say,"Sarvam etad Brahma" and then add,"Ayam Atma Brahma" and conclude by saying,"Atmana Atmanam pashyati" meaning: The Self sees the Self by Itself" This would be Self Realisation as declared by Shankara,"Jeevo Brahmaiva na paraha."

Hari Om,

Warm regards,

Swaminarayan.



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